The 'Wonder Woman' Reviews Are In, and They're Spectacular

And not only that, but it's HELLA Fresh-rated - standing at a mind-boggling 95% as of the review embargo lift, with 36 Fresh ratings and two lil Rotten one. And while early word had the film pegged as fun and engaging, we all were a bit hesitant after a similar situation cropped up with last year's Batman v. Superman - solid early word from fans, only to see it decimated by critics and general audiences.

But that's not the case with Wonder Woman - and after a dismal 2016 saw the heavily-hyped BvS and Suicide Squad roll out to (justifiably) awful reviews, it looks like the Patty Jenkins-directed film will stand tall as a beacon of light in the DCEU. So much for those conspiracy theories that Marvel was secretly paying critics to give DC films negative reviews, huh?

That's besides the point - not only is Wonder Woman looking to be the best reviewed DCEU film, it's looking to be one of the top-reviewed superhero films EVER. Of course, it's important to remember that the binary 'Fresh'/'Rotten' divide of RottenTomatoes doesn't really lend itself to nuance, this is pretty huge. And while the reviews are all largely spoiler-free, here are a few pull-quotes that should get you going:

Director Patty Jenkins' film is so threaded with sincerity and goodness it's a wonder how it got past the pugnacious minds responsible for what's come before. "Wonder Woman" evokes not only the spirit of Richard Donner's "Superman," but also Joe Johnston's "Captain America: The First Avenger," while still being its own thing. Just look to the image of Gal Gadot confidently striding out alone onto an unwinnable battlefield with only a shield, a sword and a mission -- and prevailing. It's enough to give you goosebumps.

Gal Gadot's turn as Princess Diana of Themyscira was a refreshing standout amidst the sludge of "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," and she's as good if not better headlining her own solo adventure. It's a film that not only improves upon many of the seemingly built-in shortcomings of superhero movies, but also mixes smarts, sentiment and adrenaline in the best Hollywood style. This is a superior popcorn movie, no matter what the genre.

It's the kind of sequence that can give you goosebumps and provoke a few tears -- Wonder Woman emerging from the trenches to save the day. She has the staunchness of someone who sees the world in neat black and white...until she's forced to consider whether she still feels invested in a humanity capable of doing harm without the influence of a god.

The film's action is explosive and engaging, and a sequence where Diana ventures into no man's land in the middle of a trench battle is stunning to behold. While many recent superhero films are dizzyingly directed and overstuffed with multiple heroes, director Patty Jenkins wisely chooses to focus, at times in slow motion, on Wonder Woman alone as she takes out her foes, making her fight scenes feel at once more visceral and more ethereal than what audiences are used to.

Probably no where else on the internet is the mood more joyful than in the DCEU's semi-infamous subreddit, r/DC_Cinematic - which had been trapped in a mix of fear, anxiety, anticipation, and nervous excitement since word started leaking that the film was great a few weeks ago. After all, they had felt the sting of critic backlash before, and the sub became the hotbed for conspiracy theories about Marvel paying off critics and revisionist history that Batman v. Superman was ACTUALLY a brilliant work of genius that the rest of us were too stupid to comprehend.

But now - their time has arrived. They have a film that they can love that is also loved by the public and critics.

Sadly, we still have to wait a WHOLE WEEK to actually experience the film ourselves. So, until then, let's head over to the Alamo Drafthouse Facebook page to read comments from whiny dudes who are flipping out over the idea of a few women-only screenings: